Gezicht op een bospad c. 1920

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this artwork called "Gezicht op een bospad" with charcoal and chalk on paper, and looking at it, I can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page. I imagine de Jonge standing outside, maybe it was cold, maybe he was shivering slightly, quickly trying to capture the atmosphere and light of the scene. This drawing feels like a moment—fleeting and raw—translated into a network of marks and shades. You can see how the dark, smudged charcoal creates depth, pulling you into the thick of the woods. And there’s this play of light and shadow, the light chalk lifting areas out of the darkness. It reminds me of the sketches of Van Gogh, where the landscape becomes a mirror of the artist's feelings. It is like de Jonge is trying to figure out what he thinks of what he sees by drawing what he sees. Ultimately, this drawing feels like a humble offering, inviting us to pause and consider the quiet beauty of a path through the woods, and how it feels to be a person wandering in the woods.